A bereaved father blogging for catharsis... and for distraction. Accordingly, you'll see a diverse set of topics and posts here, from the affecting to the analytical to the absurd. Something for everyone, but all, at the core, meeting a personal need.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Musical Monday #112

Welcome to the 112th edition of Musical Monday, the weekly quiz that Soccer Dad and I alternate hosting. As always, the challenge is to identify the title and artist of each song quote below, as well as the common theme of the entire set of songs. Sorry to both players and co-host for missing my turn last week! Between the Jewish holidays and my non-voluntary work "holiday", I just didn't have the time or energy for it!

This week's MM has three sub-groups of songs, which all contribute to a single overall theme, though in somewhat different ways.

1) "Grease monkey, ex-junky, winner of the fight"2) "It seems to me I could live my life, a lot better than I think I am"3) "Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts"4) "Rain pourin' down, I swing my hammer"5) "If it ain't no pencil pusher, then it got to be a honky-tonk queen"6) "Thought I could have my cake and eat it too"7) "They hurt you at home and they hit you at school"8) "Like the castle in its corner in a medieval game"9) "You lazy mother, your hands are clean"10) "Twenty five years have come and gone, and she's seen a lot of tears"11) "You can get it wrong and still you think that it's all right"

12) "How many people do I help, just by sitting on the shelf?"13) "To any port or foreign shore"14) "I lived the life of a drifter, waiting for the day"15) "Breakfast where the news is read, television children fed"16) "Tons of gold for which they'd kill"17) "Sing any so song that you want me to sing to you"18) "From F.L.A. to Frisco Bay, and everywhere in between"19) "I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams"20) "Take a drink from his special cup"21) "All night long, we would sing that stupid song"22) "And even though I'm full of sin"23) "Eating from TV trays, tuned into to Happy Days"24) "How was I to know, she was with the Russians too?"25) "He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile"26) "Through a glass eye your throne, is the one danger zone"27) "In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler"28) "A-through the back yard we'd go walkin'"29) "Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me"30) "Put out your problems with the cat"31) "Don't ask me what I want it for"32) "I won't toe your line today"33) "Long shot at that jumping sign, invisible shivers running down my spine"34) "Why's it takin' such a long time, for me to hear from that boy of mine?"35) "A lifetime spent preparing for the journey"36) "Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain"37) "Alimony, alimony payin' your bills"38) "And all this science I don't understand"39) "Who never had time for a wife"40) "A thousand miles can lead so many ways"41) "Pretty eyed, pirate smile"

42) "Every morning about this time she get me out of my bed"43) "My woman done left and took all of the reasons"44) "Keeping my eye on the keyhole"45) "Met our mothers at the USO"46) "He came home too drunk from mixin' tanqueray and wine"47) "Well, he hands you a nickel, he hands you a dime"48) "Grandma's on the front porch swing with a bible in her hand"49) "The man in the silk suit hurries by"50) "The place that I was born, on the lakeside"

1) Working for a Living - Huey Lewis & the News2) Working Man - Rush3) "Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts"4) "Rain pourin' down, I swing my hammer"5) "If it ain't no pencil pusher, then it got to be a honky-tonk queen"6) Working My Way Back to You - The Four Seasons, The Spinners7) Working Class Hero - John Lennon8) Dirty Work - Steely Dan9) "You lazy mother, your hands are clean"10) "Twenty five years have come and gone, and she's seen a lot of tears"11) We Can Work it Out - The Beatles

12) "How many people do I help, just by sitting on the shelf?"13) Soldier Boy - The Shirelles14) "I lived the life of a drifter, waiting for the day"15) The Unknown Soldier - The Doors16) One Tin Soldier - Coven17) "Sing any so song that you want me to sing to you"18) "From F.L.A. to Frisco Bay, and everywhere in between"19) Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne20) Doctor Robert - The Beatles21) Doctor Wu - Steely Dan22) Calling Dr. Love - KISS23) Lawyers in Love - Jackson Browne24) Lawyers, Guns and Money - Warren Zevon25) "He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile"26) Take Me to the Pilot - Elton John27) Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn28) Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield29) The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel30) "Put out your problems with the cat"31) Taxman - The Beatles32) "I won't toe your line today"33) "Long shot at that jumping sign, invisible shivers running down my spine"34) Please Mr. Postman - The Chiffons, The Carpenters, The Marvelettes, The Beatles35) Don't Pay the Ferryman - Chris DeBurgh36) Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult37) Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman) - Led Zeppelin38) Rocket Man - Elton John39) Piano Man - Billy Joel40) "A thousand miles can lead so many ways"41) Tiny Dancer - Elton John

42) "Every morning about this time she get me out of my bed"43) Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck44) Blue Collar Man - Styx45) Allentown - Billy Joel46) "He came home too drunk from mixin' tanqueray and wine"47) Maggie's Farm - Bob Dylan48) Rain on the Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp49) "The man in the silk suit hurries by"50) "The place that I was born, on the lakeside"

Bonuses:

B1) "A lot of them didn't, a lot of them died."B2) "If you can make sounds loud or mellow"B3) "It's six foot, seven foot, eight foot BUNCH!"B4) "Just imagine someone / Waiting at the cottage door."

Great job, Soccer Dad, Gail, Yitzchak, Laura, and Clayton! Together, you ID'ed 33 out of 50 songs, as well as the theme, which was most clearly stated by Clayton above: "first group is about working, the second is various professions, and the third is about unemployment". Believe it or not, I had been planning a MM theme around groups 1 and 2 for a while, and added the (ironic) third section after my own recent "downsizing" made it seem relevant to do so.

The complete list of correct answers:1) "Grease monkey, ex-junky, winner of the fight"- "Workin' for a Living", Huey Lewis and The News2) "It seems to me I could live my life, a lot better than I think I am"- "Working Man", Rush3) "Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts"- "Working On The Highway", Bruce Springsteen4) "Rain pourin' down, I swing my hammer"- "Working On a Dream", Bruce Springsteen5) "If it ain't no pencil pusher, then it got to be a honky-tonk queen"- "Workin' For MCA", Lynyrd Skynyrd6) "Thought I could have my cake and eat it too"- "Working My Way Back To You", The Spinners7) "They hurt you at home and they hit you at school"- "Working Class Hero", John Lennon8) "Like the castle in its corner in a medieval game"- "Dirty Work", Steely Dan9) "You lazy mother, your hands are clean"- "Dirty Work", The Rolling Stones10) "Twenty five years have come and gone, and she's seen a lot of tears"- "She Works Hard For The Money", Donna Summer11) "You can get it wrong and still you think that it's all right"- "We Can Work It Out", The Beatles

12) "How many people do I help, just by sitting on the shelf?"- "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor", The Yardbirds13) "To any port or foreign shore"- "Soldier Boy", The Shirelles14) "I lived the life of a drifter, waiting for the day"- "Soldier Of Fortune", Deep Purple15) "Breakfast where the news is read, television children fed"- "The Unknown Soldier", The Doors16) "Tons of gold for which they'd kill"- "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)", Coven17) "Sing any so song that you want me to sing to you"- "Tin Soldier", The Small Faces18) "From F.L.A. to Frisco Bay, and everywhere in between"- "The Doctor", Doobie Brothers19) "I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams"- "Doctor My Eyes", Jackson Browne20) "Take a drink from his special cup"- "Doctor Robert", The Beatles21) "All night long, we would sing that stupid song"- "Doctor Wu ", Steely Dan22) "And even though I'm full of sin"- "Calling Dr. Love", Kiss 23) "Eating from TV trays, tuned into to Happy Days"- "Lawyers In Love", Jackson Browne24) "How was I to know, she was with the Russians too?"- "Lawyers, Guns and Money", Warren Zevon25) "He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile"

26) "Through a glass eye your throne, is the one danger zone"- "Take Me To The Pilot", Elton John27) "In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler"- "Coal Miner's Daughter", Loretta Lynn28) "A-through the back yard we'd go walkin'"- "Son of a Preacher Man", Dusty Springfield29) "Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me"- "The Boxer", Simon and Garfunkel30) "Put out your problems with the cat"- "The Actor", Moody Blues31) "Don't ask me what I want it for"- "Taxman", The Beatles32) "I won't toe your line today"- "Immigration Man", David Crosby and Graham Nash33) "Long shot at that jumping sign, invisible shivers running down my spine"- "Watching The Detectives", Elvis Costello34) "Why's it takin' such a long time, for me to hear from that boy of mine?"- "Please Mr. Postman", The Marvelettes35) "A lifetime spent preparing for the journey"- "Don't Pay the Ferryman", Chris de Burgh36) "Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain"- "Don't Fear The Reaper", Blue Oyster Cult37) "Alimony, alimony payin' your bills"- "Living Loving Maid", Led Zeppelin38) "And all this science I don't understand"- "Rocket Man", Elton John39) "Who never had time for a wife"- "Piano Man", Billy Joel40) "A thousand miles can lead so many ways"- "I'm Just A Singer In A Rock N Roll Band", Moody Blues41) "Pretty eyed, pirate smile"- "Tiny Dancer", Elton John

42) "Every morning about this time she get me out of my bed"- "Get A Job", The Silhouettes43) "My woman done left and took all of the reasons"- "Take This Job and Shove It", David Allan Coe44) "Keeping my eye on the keyhole"- "Blue Collar Man", Styx45) "Met our mothers at the USO"- "Allentown", Billy Joel46) "He came home too drunk from mixin' tanqueray and wine"- "Johnny 99", Bruce Springsteen47) "Well, he hands you a nickel, he hands you a dime"- "Maggie's Farm", Bob Dylan48) "Grandma's on the front porch swing with a bible in her hand"- "Rain on the Scarecrow", John Mellencamp49) "The man in the silk suit hurries by"- "The Way It Is", Bruce Hornsby and the Range50) "The place that I was born, on the lakeside"- "Don’t Give Up", Peter Gabriel